Fraser Aird celebrates after putting his side ahead. (Image: William Hill/Steve Welsh)

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RANGERS last night exacted Scottish Cup revenge for the inconvenience of being taken to a replay by Albion Rovers with goals from Fraser Aird and Jon Daly.

It might not have been a blood curdling form of vengeance but it was sufficient for Ally McCoist after the stick his team had taken for the poverty of their performance at Ibrox.

A goal in each half, and several near misses beside, saw the League Two side gradually beaten into a position of submission. And the bravery of their rearguard action was ultimately made an irrelevance because of their inability to make any impact in attack.

Cammy Bell was a virtual spectator, one save from David Crawford apart, and the margin of victory in no way reflected Rangers’ superiority.

The Ibrox players wore black armbands as a mark of respect for ground-staff worker Robert Bryceland who died on the morning of the game after a battle with illness.

It was also the week which marks the anniversary of Davie Cooper’s tragic death. Cooper, the sublime artist of earlier times at Ibrox, was born and brought up in Hamilton.

McCoist could have done with someone of his much-loved former team-mate’s brilliance when the game at Hamilton Accies’ ground was going through its stodgier moments.

But sometimes it’s about grinding out results and Rangers at least showed greater commitment to the job at hand than they had done when being embarrassed by their lower-league opponents the first time round.

And the decision to employ youthful exuberance by way of freshening up the side paid off for McCoist with relatively quick results. Calum Gallagher’s cameo appearance, and goal, against Dunfermline earned him the right to start a first-team game for the first time.

The introduction of fresh legs and a predator’s instinct wasn’t what Albion wanted to confront on a night McCoist’s side had revenge on their minds.

The League Two outfit had drawn breath at the weekend by fielding a shadow side against Queen’s Park while the more recognisable team recovered from their Ibrox exertions.

Rovers left Crawford up front and put nine players behind the ball while defying Rangers to find a way of getting to their keeper Neil Parry.

Defence in depth meant chances were initially at a premium and the first 15 minutes passed without Parry having a need to touch the ball. But that changed when Gallagher and Aird combined to put Rangers in front after 18 minutes.

Aird lost his marker and finished off Gallagher’s cross with a shot that put Gers in front for the first time in the tie.

The task then was to finish the game off while enticing the losing side to be more open in their pursuit of an equaliser.

But before that idea could be tried out for size, Crawford had a snap shot from close range which Bell did well to parry.

It was an encouraging sign for the Rovers that their slender deficit wasn’t an insurmountable hurdle. It also meant they refused to deviate from the original plan and continued to force Rangers to look for a way past a sea of yellow jerseys and red shorts.

Aird thought he’d cracked the code when he cut inside from the left and unleashed a shot but Ross Dunlop deflected it over.

Gallagher continued to show an eye for a pass and a willingness to shoot for goal.

His side-footed effort on the verge of half-time was saved by Parry but hinted at a persistent threat unable to be ignored.

Logic would have insisted time was on Rangers’ side, too, since the longer the game went on the likelier it was their challengers would wilt.

Scott Chaplain made what looked like a tired man’s challenge on Nicky Law two minutes after the restart to earn a booking and suggest the time spent chasing Rangers might be taking its toll on weary limbs.

Bilel Mohsni, who had forced the replay, almost got the second goal that would have crushed Rovers’ spirit.

But his diving header went inches wide as Rangers’ pressure became incessant and their opponents, temporarily at least, ceased to pose any threat.

The result was then put beyond doubt after 57 minutes when Daly doubled the lead.

Richard Foster’s delivery into the box found Daly able to hang in the air and direct a header that Parry couldn’t reach.

The keeper was almost beaten for a third time when Gallagher shot through a ruck of players. But Parry did well to see the ball late and flop on it.

As it was, the chances of any kind of fightback had become remote and Rangers were on the look-out for a closing phase that would underline the gulf between the sides.

But Parry was determined not to have his good work turn into a belated collapse. When an attempted defensive clearance cannoned off Law it seemed a certain goal but the keeper somehow managed to deflect it away from danger.

He could hold his head high while his team appeared to be going down with all hands on deck as their dream capsized.